1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to microfluidics, and more particularly, to a microfluidic apparatus having a fluid container in which a limitation due to the thickness of a substrate is overcome and a large amount of fluid can be accommodated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in the field of microfluidics, a microfluidic apparatus using a small amount of fluid in the field of microfluidics comprises a chamber in which the small amount of fluid is accommodated, a channel through which the fluid flows, and a valve which controls the flow of the fluid. An apparatus manufactured to perform a test, including a biochemical reaction on a small-sized chip, is referred to as a bio-chip. In particular, an apparatus manufactured to perform fluid processing and manipulation in several steps is referred to as a lab-on-a-chip.
A driving pressure is needed to convey a fluid in a microfluidic apparatus. A capillary pressure or a pressure caused by a separate pump is used as the driving pressure. Recently, centrifugal force-based microfluidic apparatuses, which drive a fluid by using centrifugal force generated by rotating a disc-shaped microfluidic apparatus having a chamber and a channel, have been suggested. This kind of apparatus is referred to as a Lab CD or a Lab-on-a-CD.
When a biochemical test is performed using the microfluidic apparatus, a large amount of a fluid is needed. For example, when a liver function test is performed, a large amount of a buffer solution corresponding to several hundreds or thousands times of a required amount of a whole blood (WB) sample, is needed. However, since generally the chamber and channel of the microfluidic apparatus are formed inside a flat substrate, the size of the substrate must be increased so as to increase the capacity of the chamber to accommodate the buffer. In addition, the arrangement of the chamber and the channel in the substrate cannot be easily performed. As a result, costs for manufacturing a microfluidic apparatus are increased and it is difficult to implement an integrated micro fluidic apparatus.